Many people don’t understand how amazing bees really are. Watch the two videos below to begin understanding what makes them so special.

• Discovering the intelligence of bees
• Bees can do math

What did you learn about bees that you never knew before? What did you find most interesting?

Watch this video about bees, and write down 5 facts you learned. 

Watch the videos below to learn more about bees and to complete the tasks in the following section.

• Contributions of Bees
• The Genius of the Beehive

Bee Facts

• After watching previous videos and reading the information above, write a short essay about what you find most amazing or interesting about bees, or create a PowerPoint presentation with key facts about them.
• Complete the quiz below.

Bee Fact Quiz

Can you do bee math? Many of you have because it is a common lesson in high school geometry. Read the information below and then complete the linked worksheet. 

• The formula for the sum of the interior angles of a regular polygon is n-2(180), where n is the number of sides. The measure of one interior angle (n-2(180))/n, so in other words, simply find the sum of the interior angles and then divide by the number of sides. To find an exterior angle of a polygon the formula is 180-the measure of the interior angle.

Polygon Worksheet

• How is a bee society similar to our own?
• How and why are bees so important to us, and what consequences does a declining bee population present? What is a keystone species?
• What are specific ways we as individuals can support the health of the bee population?
• Do you view bees differently now than before?

Silence of the Bees

Studying bees is not just a hobby, it is the work of biologists. Becoming a biology major not only provides the opportunity to study the natural world around us but opens the door for many other careers. Research the career opportunities for biology majors, the classes you’ll need to take in college, and the subjects you would need to focus on in high school.

Investigate apiculture (the science of beekeeping). The white boxes we see on properties throughout the Mother Lode are beehives. It is a hobby and enterprise for many people. Many of us have the land and conditions for participating, but it is a labor of love. Is it something you might be interested in trying? Honey…